To set up your Meta Quest 3S, charge the headset, install Meta Horizon on your phone, sign in or create an account, and follow the pairing instructions on your phone and headset. Connect to Wi-Fi, complete the initial update, adjust the fit, and create your play boundary. The standard consumer setup requires Meta Horizon, including for Quest 3S Xbox Edition.
The short version
- Prepare the hardware: Fully charge the headset, remove the protective materials, and pull the battery-blocking tabs from both controllers.
- Pair through your phone: Install Meta Horizon and follow its first-device setup or select your Quest 3S through the app’s device menu.
- Get a clear view: Adjust the straps while seated, removing the headset before changing between its three lens positions.
- Connect and finish: Complete Wi-Fi setup and the initial update, then choose a boundary that suits your available space.
- Recover from a stall: Try a hard reboot before considering a factory reset, which erases local accounts, downloads, and content.
| Setup task or option | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Hardware preparation | Charge the headset and activate the included controllers |
| Meta Horizon installation | Prepare your phone for consumer pairing |
| Strap and lens adjustment | Find a comfortable fit and clear view |
| Glasses spacer | Fit compatible glasses inside the headset |
| First headset pairing | Follow automatic setup with your first account and headset |
| Additional headset pairing | Add Quest 3S to an existing Meta Horizon account |
| Direct Wi-Fi entry | Type network details, including those containing semicolons |
| Wi-Fi QR code | Scan network details from Meta Horizon |
| Accessibility settings | Choose vision, mobility, or hearing settings after the initial update |
| Headset Wi-Fi settings | Change networks from inside the headset |
| Mobile app Wi-Fi settings | Change networks through the paired phone |
| Stationary boundary | Stay seated or stand in one place |
| Roomscale boundary | Move within at least 2 m × 2 m of clear space |
| Suggested boundary | Review and edit a boundary proposed by the headset |
| Space setup | Scan room surfaces and furniture for mixed reality |
| Hand and body tracking | Use hand controls in supported screens and apps |
| Manual software update | Check for and download available headset updates |
| Automatic updates | Keep the headset ready to receive software updates |
| Manual controller pairing | Connect a controller through Meta Horizon |
| Controller unpairing | Remove an existing pairing before pairing again |
| Hard reboot | Restart a headset stuck during setup |
| Software update tool | Update when the headset’s update route is unavailable |
| Hardware factory reset | Erase the headset without a paired phone |
| Mobile app factory reset | Erase the headset through its paired phone |
Prepare the headset and controllers
Fully charge your Quest 3S with the supplied adapter and cable. Remove the paper from the straps and the protective films from the lenses, then remove the battery-blocking tab from each Touch Plus controller. Secure the controller wrist straps before continuing.
Hold the headset’s left-side Power button for three seconds to start it. Hold Menu on the left controller and Meta on the right controller for two seconds. Continue through the headset’s language and setup prompts.
On your phone, open Meta’s mobile app installation page, select Google Play Store or App Store, and install Meta Horizon. Meta lists Android 5.0 or later and iOS 15.1 or later as the supported phone versions. Have your network name and password ready, connect your phone to Wi-Fi, and turn on Bluetooth before pairing.
Adjust the fit and lens spacing
Sit down, loosen the headset straps, and put the headset on. Pull the rear sliders apart to tighten the stock strap, or move them together to loosen it. Adjust the top strap and the angle of the headset until it sits comfortably.
Remove the headset before changing the lens spacing. Gently move a lens sideways between its three positions, then put the headset back on to compare clarity. Recheck the strap fit and view after finding the clearest position.
For glasses, check that the frames measure no more than 142 mm wide and 50 mm high before installing the included spacer. Gently remove the facial interface, press the glasses spacer into its place, and reinstall the facial interface over it. Put the headset on from front to back.
Pair your Quest 3S with Meta Horizon
Open Meta Horizon and log in or create an account. When you are creating your first account and setting up your first headset, follow the device-setup instructions presented automatically in the app. Complete the remaining prompts inside the headset as directed.
If you already use Meta Horizon, open Menu at the top of Horizon Feed, then select Devices > Connect new device > Meta Quest 3S. Follow the pairing instructions to add the headset to your account.
Older instructions may call the mobile app Oculus or Meta Quest; its current name is Meta Horizon. Signing in through a browser does not replace pairing through the mobile app.
Connect to your network and finish the initial update
At Choose how to connect to Wi-Fi, select Enter Wi-Fi details to enter your network information directly in the headset. Use this option when your network name or password contains a semicolon. The QR code route does not support semicolons in either field.
To transfer the network details from your phone instead, select Use a QR code from the Meta Horizon mobile app. Follow the app’s instructions, then hold the phone’s QR code at eye level so the headset can scan it. Continue through the remaining headset prompts and the initial update.
After that update, open accessibility settings by pressing Meta on the right controller three times. Choose the vision, mobility, or hearing settings you need, then continue setup.
To change networks afterward, press Meta on the right controller and open Quick controls > Settings > Wi-Fi. Enable Wi-Fi, choose the network, and select Connect. Enter its password when required.
To change the connection from your phone, open Meta Horizon and go to Menu > Devices. Select your headset, open Headset settings > Wi-Fi, then select the network and enter its password.
Create a boundary for your play space
For seated use or standing in one place, press Meta and open Quick controls > Settings > Environment setup > Boundary > Adjust boundary. Choose Stationary and adjust the boundary around your position. Meta describes its default size as 1 m × 1 m.
For experiences that involve moving around, clear at least 2 m × 2 m of unobstructed space first. Open the same Adjust boundary setting, choose Roomscale, and draw the boundary using a Touch controller.
The headset can also suggest a boundary when you launch an app in a space without one, or through Settings > Environment setup > Boundary. Review and edit that suggestion before accepting it. You can draw your own boundary or choose Stationary instead.
Mixed-reality apps that use room surfaces and furniture may start assisted space setup automatically. To start it yourself, open Settings > Environment setup > Space setup and follow the room-scanning instructions.
Set up optional tracking and automatic updates
After initial setup, enable hand controls by pressing Meta and opening Quick controls > Settings > Tracking. Turn on Hand and body tracking. On supported system screens and in supported apps, point at an item and pinch your thumb and finger together to select it.
For software updates, press Meta and open Quick controls > Settings > General > Software update. Check the installed version and select the download button when an update is available.
Keep the headset charged, powered on, connected to Wi-Fi, and stationary on a flat surface to allow automatic updates. In Software update, enable Automatically power headset to update if you want it to power on for updates. That setting is unavailable when a lock PIN is set.
Resolve controller pairing and setup stalls
When a controller needs manual pairing, turn on the headset and open Meta Horizon on your phone. Go to Menu > Devices, select the headset, then open Headset settings > Controllers > Pair new controller. Choose the controller you want to pair.
For the right controller, hold Meta + B until its LED blinks and lights. For the left controller, hold Menu + Y until its LED blinks and lights. If you need to remove an existing pairing first, select that controller under Controllers, tap Unpair controller, and repeat the pairing procedure.
If the headset is stuck during setup, try a hard reboot before erasing it. Hold its Power button for 30 seconds, until it turns back on, then resume setup.
For an update problem that prevents you from continuing, use Meta’s software update tool and follow its guided device-update instructions. Meta directs you to this tool when updating from inside the headset is unavailable.
Start over with a factory reset when needed
A factory reset permanently erases local accounts, downloads, and content, so reserve it for recovery or deliberately starting over. Charge the headset to at least 50% before resetting. Afterward, you will repeat the initial setup.
To reset without the phone app, turn the headset off, then hold Power + Volume down until the boot screen appears. Use the Volume buttons to highlight Factory reset, then press Power. Highlight Yes with the Volume buttons and press Power again.
For a headset already paired to Meta Horizon, open Menu > Devices in the app and select your headset. Open Headset settings > Advanced settings, tap Factory Reset, then tap Reset. Once the reset finishes, repeat the initial setup and pairing process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a Facebook account to set up Meta Quest 3S?
Facebook is not universally required. Follow the login or account-creation prompts in Meta Horizon and use that account for setup.
Can you set up a Quest 3S for a child?
Meta supports parent-managed accounts for ages 10 to 12, subject to regional age differences. Sign in to Meta Horizon with the parent’s account, open Menu > Family Centre > Get started, then tap Create an account for a child. Tap Continue and complete the child-account prompts.
Do you need a gaming PC to use Meta Quest 3S?
You do not need a gaming PC for standard consumer activation. Wired Link and wireless Air Link are optional PC VR connections used after activation, and both require a compatible Windows PC with Meta Horizon Link installed.
How do you set up a warranty replacement headset when it cannot find your controllers?
Power on and wear the replacement headset, then put it down for five to ten minutes when it cannot locate the controllers or asks for their pull tabs. Wear it again and follow the gaze instructions, moving your head to target items and pressing a Volume button to select. Complete controller pairing and the remaining setup prompts.
Can you enable automatic power on for updates during first setup?
Yes, Automatically power headset to update also appears in Power off during first setup or after a factory reset. You can enable it there without opening the software update settings.
